Dolores O'Riordan dead: The Cranberries lead singer dies aged 46
The Irish musician died in London, her publicist confirmed
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Your support makes all the difference.Dolores O’Riordan, frontwoman of the iconic Irish grunge-rock band The Cranberries, has died suddenly at the age of 46.
Tributes poured in from fans, friends and fellow musicians who praised her as “unforgettable” and inspirational.
Irish President Michael D Higgins praised O’Riordan’s and the band’s “immense influence on rock and pop music in Ireland and internationally.”
Singer Hozier said: “My first time hearing Dolores O’Riordan’s voice was unforgettable. I’d never heard somebody use their instrument in that way.”
Fan @MayKapes said: “She’s the reason so many young girls saw a place for themselves in rock music. So, so sad.”
A spokesperson for O’Riordan said she died “suddenly” in London, where she had travelled for a short recording session.
The cause of her death has not yet been revealed.
O’Riordan joined The Cranberries, made up of brothers Noel Hogan and Mike Hogan, after reading an advertisement in a local paper in 1989
They went on to sell over 40 million records around the world, O’Riordan later releasing the solo records Are You Listening? in 2007 and No Baggage in 2009.
Below you can read how people paid tribute throughout the day on Monday.
The live blog has now closed
Follow the international reaction here.
Welcome to our coverage of the death of Cranberries leader singer Dolores O'Riordan.
The singer has died in London at the age of 46, her publicist has confirmed.
A statement from her publicist said: “Irish and international singer Dolores O’Riordan has died suddenly in London today. She was 46 years old.
“The lead singer with the Irish band The Cranberries was in London for a short recording session. No further details are available at this time.
“Family members are devastated to hear the breaking news and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.”
Tributes have begun pour in from O'Riordan's fans - including musicians revealing how much of an inspiration she was to them.
The Cranberries reformed in March 2017 with a new album full of their biggest hits such as 'Zombie' and 'Linger' and European tour.
But in May the band were forced to cancel their remaining European tour dates as a result of O'Riordan's poor health.
The official website said at the time cited "medical reasons associated with a back problem" preventing her from performing.
Just before Christmas O'Riordan hinted that she was beginning to feel better and had done her "first bit of giggling in months" in a Facebook post.
In May O'Riordan announced she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. In 2015 she admitted to assaulting an air hostess on an Aer Lingus flight in November 2014 shortly after separating from her husband of 20 years Don Burton.
Medical reports produced for the trial at Ennis District Court revealed she had been suffering from mania, mental illness and severely impaired judgment at the time of the incident, and that she remembered nothing about it.
Here is our 2009 interview with O'Riordan where she talks about her second solo album, No Baggage, and her life as a wife and mother.
O'Riordan was just 18 when she joined the band, then called The Cranberry Saw Us, after seeing an advert in the local newspaper in 1990 in her hometown of Limerick.
She later described herself as "just a child back then" and said she had only ever been out of Ireland once to visit her older sister in London.
They then recorded a demo, containing early hits such as "Linger" and "Dreams", which became the subject of a bidding war between major British music labels after being noticed by the music press and the band was propelled to worldwide fame.
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